


Partners

by SouthForWinter



Series: EC Week 2021 [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: EC Week 2021, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 22:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30129732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthForWinter/pseuds/SouthForWinter
Summary: For EC Week 2021. Day Seven: Free Day. This one is based off an old EC Week prompt that didn't win the vote (I think): Detective Partners. Anyway, I wanted to write it, so here we are. This one will have a few more chapters.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Prince Charming | David Nolan
Series: EC Week 2021 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207400
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Partners

Late calls like this were always difficult. It didn’t matter how many years she’d been on the job, it was something she’d never get used to. She’d dressed quickly, grabbing her badge and her gun and knocking on the door of her next door neighbor, Ruby.

Ruby had been a godsend. Mid-twenties, a partier, but sweet, and could be trusted to watch Henry. And a bonus - her partying ways meant she was a night owl and always still awake when Regina got the late night summons to a crime scene. 

After Ruby was settled in on the couch with her phone and the tv remote, Regina kissed Henry on the forehead, careful not to wake him before slipping out the door.

The city was quiet this time of night in the areas surrounding the night scene. The lingering crowds were starting to make their way home, and even the places open the latest were beginning to turn off their signs and stack their stools. 

It was never hard to find where she was going. The blue and red lights reflected off buildings and windows from blocks away, a gathered crowd coming into sight when she turned the corner.

The quiet bubble of the night burst as she approached the scene, lots of shouting for people to stay back and everyone wondering what had happened as she rolled down her window to flash her badge. She drove under the tape as it was lifted for her and pulled to a stop next to her partner’s car. He was  _ always  _ there first. 

He said it was because he lived closer to the freeway, but it was a bald-faced lie. David was a notorious speeder. 

“Hey, partner,” he greeted, fresh cup of coffee extended to her the second she’d closed her car door behind her.

“Bless you,” she told him tiredly, taking it from him. “Were you able to find someone to watch Emma with no problem?” she asked, covering her yawn quickly before taking a sip. The liquid was still scalding and she pulled a face.

He grimaced in sympathy. “Sorry, should have warned you. Yeah, Kathryn was able to come over. Though Emma woke up anyway and claimed she’s old enough not to need a babysitter.”

“I can’t believe she’s grown so much! It seems like not that long ago she turned five!”

“You’re telling me. Anyway, I told her she wouldn’t be staying in the house alone until she was at least sixteen, so we still have a good few years before I need to worry about having a heart attack over that particular fear.” His smile faded as he switched back to professional mode. “Shall we?” He tossed his head in the direction he’d come from.

“Yeah. What’ve we got?”

“Male, late twenties. His girlfriend and the friends they were with told the responding officers that he’d gotten into it with a guy earlier tonight. Sounds like there aren’t any witnesses to the murder. The bouncer went for a smoke during his break and found him in the alley. He was already dead and there wasn’t anyone else around.”

Regina put a hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples and trying to ready herself for the night. Ten years on the job and she was ready for an out. It was hard being surrounded by all of this death all the time. She’d originally joined the force because of the disappearance of her younger sister when they were teenagers, wanting to help people in similar situations, and then she’d met Daniel. They’d fallen in love quickly, marrying a year later, and another year after that, she was pregnant with their first child. 

She’d wanted to quit her job then, after Henry was born. She hadn’t felt the need for it anymore, wanting a quieter life with her husband and son, and maybe a few other children, but life hadn’t worked that way. Instead, Daniel had been killed. Mugged on his way home one night, and Regina had redoubled her focus on the job. She’d been reassigned to the homicide division within the year, spending her free time trying to hunt down the person who’d gotten away with the murder of her husband. And it was there she’d been assigned David as a partner. They’d become fast friends, bonding over single-parenthood and tragic ends to their marriages. While Daniel had been killed when Henry was just a baby, David had lost his wife Mary to cancer when Emma was three. Like Regina, he’d used work as an escape from his pain, but it was he who’d finally convinced her to let go.

“It’s not worth sacrificing your future,” he’d told her. “I bet Daniel wouldn’t have wanted that for you. Spend time with Henry, move forward. I’m not saying give up, just…don’t let it take over. Take it from someone who spent far too long buried in his work.”

And everyday it had been a little easier. She’d slowly let go of all the reasons she stayed at work late and arrived early, started doing things with Henry like going to the zoo, having a picnic in the park, driving up the coast on the weekend to play on the beach. Sometimes Emma and David joined them, the four getting out of the city for the weekend to have fun. It was nice to forget about all of the horrible things they saw on the job and take time for the important things in life.

* * *

Spinning her chair around to toss her keys in the drawer, Regina leaned back to close her eyes for a moment. It was nine in the morning and they’d only just finished up at the scene. She had quite a bit of paperwork ahead of her and she sighed as she mustered up the energy to get back out of her chair for a fresh cup of coffee. 

As if by magic, another cup of coffee was placed in front of her on the desk.

“You’re too good to me,” she told David, giving him a tired smile. “I don’t know why I didn’t stop on my way over here. I’d resigned myself to the house sludge.”

“You’re tired,” David excused. “Forensics called me on my way in. They said they might have something for us.”

She stretched, standing up and picking up her cup. “We should head down before we start the interviews. Maybe they can set us on the right track.”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” he nodded. “From what we heard back at the bar, eye witness isn’t going to be very helpful on this one.”

She swung her blazer on and he put a hand on the small of her back, letting her pass him on their way to the door.

“Are you still bringing Emma for Henry’s birthday this weekend?” she asked as they waited for the elevator. “He’s really excited about having everyone together in the park.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he grinned. “Emma’s been talking about it non-stop - she can’t wait. Need me to bring anything?”

“No, I’ve got it all covered, thanks.”

* * *

Regina smiled over at David as he greeted an enthusiastic Henry by swinging him up onto his shoulders. He caught her eye across the grass and gave her a wink, gripping Henry’s legs.

“I don’t see why you two don’t just go for it.”

She turned to see Ruby leaning with her hip against a picnic table, crunching down a baby carrot.

“What?” she asked.

“Oh, please. You know what I’m talking about.” She gestured over to David. “You and Detective Hotpants.”

“Detective Hotpants?” Regina questioned, chuckling as she took the lid off another platter of veggies. “I doubt he’d appreciate the nickname.”

“Whatever, the point is the two of you totally have chemistry. It’s obvious you care about each other.”

“Of course we care about each other,” Regina told her. “We’ve been partners for over five years now. Our jobs are to watch each other's backs.”

“Mmm, it’s more than that,” Ruby told her. “I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other.”

“Ruby,” Regina hissed as someone passed nearby. “Someone will hear you. You can’t talk like that. David and I are partners and friends - nothing more. There couldn’t be anything more anyway. We’re in the same squad - it’s forbidden.”

Ruby frowned a frown that came off more as a pout. “Fine, we won’t talk about it. Right now.”

Regina’s sigh of relief turned into a groan of frustration. As much as she loved her, Ruby could be a true pain in the ass at times.

“Regina!”

She turned with a grin to meet Emma who was running toward her, a brightly wrapped package in one hand.

“Hi!” she greeted, flinging her arms around Regina and almost knocking her over.

“Hi,” Regina laughed out, rocking her side to side playfully. “I think you may have grown again,” she frowned, pulling back slightly.

“You saw me two weeks ago,” Emma said, scrunching her nose. “I don’t think I’ve grown since then.”

“I don’t know,” Regina smiled, pulling her back into a hug and drawing her hand from the top of Emma’s head into her chest. “I think you just might have.”

When they’d separated, Emma thrust out the package. “Henry’s birthday present,” she declared. “Daddy helped me pick out the present, but I picked out the paper and wrapped it myself.”

“And a very fine job you did,” Regina assured her. “It looks great. I’m sure Henry will love it, sweetheart, thank you.”

* * *

It was a great party. Henry had a ton of fun, and Regina and David didn’t get called in to work, so when things started drawing to a close, Henry begged for a movie night with David and Emma.

“Please, mom? Pleeaaase?” 

She couldn’t resist his puppy dog expression - it was his birthday after all. “You’ll have to ask David, they might have plans already.”

He cheered as if it were already a done deal and raced off to ask her partner. He must have said it was okay because she saw Henry jump up and down excitedly and David looked up at her, eyes meeting as he smiled.

She wished they could have more weekends like this.

Then she caught Ruby watching them with a sly smile and she cleared her throat, refocusing her attention on cleaning up. She didn’t need anyone putting those thoughts in her head.


End file.
